The Cake Shop photo
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It takes a lot to break through Florida’s crowded dessert scene, but sometimes all it takes is one perfectly timed celebrity shoutout — and in this case, one very enthusiastic Ryan Gosling.
A small Tallahassee bakery called the Cake Shop is suddenly having a major surge in orders from across the U.S. after Gosling casually name-dropped its now-famous “Popped-Tarts” during an appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. What followed? A sugar-fueled frenzy that has phones ringing nonstop and orders pouring in from across the country.
Ryan Gosling and Seth Meyers(Late Night with Seth Meyers/NBC Universal) photo
An Overnight Celebrity Co-Sign
“I did not know that was coming. It was a total shock. I was blown into another universe,” Cake Shop owner Linda Richards told WCTV. “That’s huge.”
Huge might be an understatement. According to the media outlet, within days of Gosling’s on-air rave, the bakery has been slammed with demand. Richards even describes the situation as “on fire.”
The shop has fielded thousands of requests, including hundreds of bulk orders, all for the flaky, fruit-filled pastries that have quietly built a cult following long before their Hollywood co-sign.
From SNL to Small-Town Stardom
The viral moment traces back to Gosling spotting Saturday Night Live dresser Donna Richards, Linda’s sister, in the studio audience. That’s when he couldn’t help but gush.
“She has a bakery in Tallahassee, Florida, and she makes the most incredible Popped-Tarts,” Gosling told Meyers. “You have to order these Popped-Tarts.”
And just like that, Tallahassee became an unlikely dessert destination.
The Cake Shop photo
A Pastry Worth the Hype
Back at the bakery, customers are lining up for a taste of the hype. By mid-afternoon one day alone, more than 100 “Popped-Tarts” had already sold in-store, with flavors like strawberry (Gosling’s favorite), blueberry, cinnamon, and peanut butter and jelly flying off the shelves.
For Richards, it’s a surreal moment years in the making — the kind of overnight success that’s anything but overnight.
“Everybody has something they want at any bakery,” she said. “Evidently, this is his thing.”
And now, it might just be everyone else’s, too.
The Cake Shop. 1908 Capital Circle NE, Tallahassee; 850-386-2253; tallahasseecakeshop.com.
